remixLIT 2013

The founders of a new mind sport, remixLIT, have published guidelines for the 2013 competition: contestants will remix two primary source texts to create a new story. Those texts are *Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland* and *The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.* Supplemental materials, e.g., illustrations, films, videos, and audio recordings, will also be available. All source materials used in the competition either are in the public domain or are available under a Creative Commons license.

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The remixLIT ChallengeWe’re taking our favorite mind sport to a whole new level. You spoke,and we listened. Now, remix teams anywhere in the world have achance to compete in the annual remixLIT playoffs. If you love literatureand want to exercise your own imagination, join us for the next remixLITchallenge.

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Whether you’re a player, a sponsor,a coach, or a fan, you’ll discoverwhy people across the globe areraving about remixLIT, a mindsport for the digital age.

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BackgroundThroughout history, artists, poets, novelists, musicians, filmmakers, andvideomakers have remixed material by others in creative ways. As KirbyFerguson explains in his June 2012 TED talk, “Everything is a remix.” Hebreaks down the process into three steps: COPY TRANSFORM COMBINEAccording to Ferguson, this model represents the basic elements of allcreativity, even when the process is unconscious rather than intentional.Picasso allegedly expressed a similar thought: “Good artists copy; greatartists steal.” In our wired, digital society, new communications tools aremaking it easier than ever to remix a variety of media, from print tomobile apps.

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Redefining AuthorshipRemixing is emerging as a popular art form that Kirby Ferguson andothers urge us to embrace. We invite you to accept that challenge: PlayremixLIT 2013 and push the boundaries of literature. At the same time,pay homage to our cultural heritage. Contestants will copy, transform,and combine material from two classics of children’s literature to createan “original” multimedia story.

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ObjectivesFor the remixLIT 2013 challenge, players will work with the twoprimary source texts that we have selected this year: Alice’sAdventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and The WonderfulWizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Both texts are in the publicdomain and can therefore be remixed without copyrightinfringement.

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Scoop.itIn addition to the two selected books and other works by thesame authors, you will have access to assorted archival materialsthat we’ve curated for remixLit 2013. You’ll find downloadablecopies of most illustrations that have appeared in various versionsof the selected books. You’ll also find related films and videos aswell as audio readings of the stories.“Alice Remix” is online now. Check it out. The screen shots thatfollow provide a preview of what you’ll find on our Scoop.it site.All the links there are active, so visit that site when you’re ready tostart your remix challenge. If you’d like a short movie break first,consider watching the 1903 silent film version of Alice inWonderland, directed by Percy Stow & Cecil M. Hepworth.

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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum“Dorothy Remix” will be posted soon on Scoop.it. In the meantime,reread this classic children’s story, courtesy of the Internet Archive.

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remixLIT 2013 Round 1 Guidelines• Create a new story by remixing the written texts, illustrations, photos, films, videos, audio readings, music, and other materials assembled in the multimedia archive for this competition.* (You may work by yourself or with a team.)• Submit your remixed story in the format or platform of your choice, e.g., pdf, video, slides, music, podcast, website, blog, social media, mobile app, game, or e-book. If you prefer to take a transmedia approach to storytelling, connect two or more strategically related formats or platforms.• Judges will select the top 25 entries. The contestants who submit those remixes will be invited to enter Round 2.*To the best of our knowledge, all the source materials used in the competition either are inthe public domain or are available under a Creative Commons license.

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remixLIT 2013 Round 2We will set up remix stations for the twenty-five participants (or groups) inthis round. Located near the contestants’ homes—which may beanywhere in the world—the venues will be wired for live video streamingon the web during the eight-hour competition.We will provide the participants with new multimedia material related tothe two main source texts that they used in Round 1. Participants willremix this new material to create a sequel to their first remix. During theeight-hour event, contestants will have to reach a series of milestones.Points will be awarded both for speed and ingenuity.Friends of remixLIT 2013 who make a donation to our nonprofit literacyorganization will have a chance to view the live webcast, sendcomments to the contestants, offer suggestions, and vote for the entriesthey like best. Our experts will also judge the competition. The top threecontestants will move on to Round 3.

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remixLIT 2013 Round 3On the day after Round 2, the three finalists will return to their respective remixingstations to compete in the third and last round of remixLIT 2013. For this challenge,contestants will add another layer to their previous work by remixing it withdocumentary video footage of the contestants in Round 2. In this way, the storyinspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz willinclude remembrances of remixLIT 2013. The three finalists thus will becomecharacters in the stories that they’re remixing.The winner will become an international spokesperson for literacy.

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For additional background on the theory andpractice of remixing, see the four-part web videoseries that Kirby Ferguson produced, Everything is aRemix, which he shares and discusses on his blog. Healso includes references.